Moat Index De-FAANGed Further
June 29, 2020
Read Time 4 MIN
The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM (the “Index”) completed its quarterly rebalance and reconstitution on Friday, June 19, 2020. Several trends emerged as new names entered the Index and other big name companies saw their position dialed back. Many of the stocks that Morningstar identified as undervalued and added to the Index in March 2020 continued to feature attractive valuations, resulting in an increase to their weightings this quarter. Also notable, exposure to FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) stocks was further reduced in the Index from an already low level.
FAANGs Out
Impressive performance resulted in unattractive relative valuations for Amazon (AMZN) and Facebook (FB) during the second quarter Index review. Both companies’ index weight was effectively cut in half following strong returns year-to-date.
FAANG stocks have received more than their share of investor and media attention in recent years as they have, at times, contributed to an outsized portion of the broad U.S. stock markets’ returns. The Index has naturally been underweight these stocks relative to most broad U.S. market indexes. Morningstar equity research analysts have assigned Apple (AAPL) and Netflix (NFLX) a narrow moat rating, leaving both ineligible for inclusion in the wide moat-only Index. Google, or Alphabet, Inc. (GOOGL), was included in the Index as recently as December 2019, but was removed as the company became too pricey relative to other eligible wide moat companies. Despite being underweight these stocks, the Index has maintained an impressive near- and long-term track record.
Communications services and information technology are currently a combined 13% underweight relative to the S&P 500 Index, signaling the increasing valuations among these companies and growth-oriented sectors broadly speaking.
Relative Sectors Weights
As of 6/19/2020
| Sector | Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index |
S&P 500 Index | Relative Weight |
| Communication Services | 5.3% | 10.9% | -5.6% |
| Consumer Discretionary | 8.4% | 10.7% | -2.4% |
| Consumer Staples | 11.2% | 7.0% | +4.2% |
| Energy | 2.7% | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| Financials | 17.4% | 10.5% | +6.9% |
| Health Care | 18.0% | 14.6% | +3.4% |
| Industrials | 11.7% | 8.0% | +3.7% |
| Information Technology | 19.4% | 26.9% | -7.4% |
| Materials | 4.7% | 2.5% | +2.2% |
| Utilities | 1.2% | 3.0% | -1.8% |
| Real Estate | 0.0% | 2.8% | -2.8% |
Source: Morningstar.
Consumer Brands In
Several highly recognizable consumer brand companies were added to the Index this quarter. These companies are consumer reliant, global, and have been impacted by the COVID-19 induced economic slowdown.
- Coca-Cola Co. (KO): Coca-Cola entered the Index for the first time since 2014. The beverage company has long benefited from its strong brand (intangible assets) and cost advantages and is currently trading at a 15% discount to fair value as of June 23, 2020, according to Morningstar. Morningstar’s equity research team sees long-term value in Coca-Cola shares despite limited near-term visibility on potential COVID-19 impact on revenue.
- Tiffany & Co. (TIF): Tiffany has a classic intangible asset source of economic moat, allowing it to charge more for a piece of jewelry because of its historic brand and iconic blue box. Despite this strong wide economic moat, the company has only been in the Index for three quarters since its launch in 2007, all in 2016. According to Morningstar, 95% of the jeweler’s brick and mortar locations in the Americas and Japan and 85% in Europe were closed at the end of its latest reporting quarter. However, 85% of Asia-Pacific stores have been partially or fully reopened. As of June 23, 2020, Tiffany was trading slightly below fair value as it works toward the completion of its acquisition by LVMH, the premium of which is reflected in Morningstar’s current $135 fair value estimate.
- Yum! Brands (YUM): Yum’s last and only time in the index was for two quarters in 2017. Another company that is facing COVID-19 related pressure, Yum was trading at a 14% discount to fair value on June 23, 2020 despite a reduction to its fair value estimate from $110 to $102 per share in mid-March. Morningstar believes Yum is well-positioned to survive, and even thrive, following the COVID-driven downturn. “We see near-term pressures as temporary and believe Yum is well-positioned to compete for market share ceded by smaller independent restaurant closures following coronavirus-related disruptions,” noted Morningstar consumer strategist R.J. Hottovy in a June 15, 2020 analyst note.
Below is a summary of the stocks added and removed in this quarter’s review. Click here for a full recap of the review
June 2020 Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM Review
Index Additions & Increased Allocations
| Company | Ticker | Price / Fair Value | Also Added in March 2020 |
| Boeing Co | BA | 0.77 | x |
| Constellation Brands Inc. | STZ | 0.85 | x |
| US Bancorp | USB | 0.88 | x |
| American Express Co | AXP | 0.88 | x |
| Harley-Davidson Inc. | HOG | 0.91 | |
| Coca-Cola Co | KO | 0.91 | |
| Cerner Corp | CERN | 0.92 | |
| Tiffany & Co | TIF | 0.92 | |
| Yum! Brands Inc. | YUM | 0.94 | |
| John Wiley & Sons Inc. | JW.A | 0.94 | |
| Bank of America Corp | BAC | 0.94 | x |
| Aspen Technologies Inc. | AZPN | 0.95 |
Index Deletions & Decreased Allocations
| Failed Screen | ||||
| Company | Ticker | Moat Rating | Price / Fair Value | Other |
| Emerson Electric Co | EMR | x | ||
| Amazon.com Inc. | AMZN | x | ||
| NIKE Inc. | NKE | x | ||
| CSX Corporation CSX | CSX | x | ||
| Facebook Inc. | FB | x | ||
| Polaris Inc. | PII | x | ||
| BlackRock Inc. | BLK | x | ||
| T Rowe Price Group Inc. | TROW | x | ||
| Veeva Systems Inc. | VEEV | x | ||
| KLA Corporation | KLAC | x | ||
| Core Laboratories* | CLB | x | ||
*Dropped from parent index due to market cap requirement. Source: Morningstar. Price/fair value data as of June 9, 2020. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. For illustrative purposes only.
VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide ETF (MOAT) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses the price and yield performance of the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index.
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Important Disclosures
The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are valid as of the date of this communication and subject to change without notice. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. The information herein represents the opinion of the author(s), but not necessarily those of VanEck.
This commentary is not intended as a recommendation to buy or to sell any of the sectors or securities mentioned herein. Holdings will vary for the MOAT ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: https://www.vaneck.com/etf/equity/moat/holdings/.
An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Returns reflect past performance and do not guarantee future results. Results reflect the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains, if any. Certain indices may take into account withholding taxes. Index returns do not represent Fund returns. The Index does not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, nor does the Index lend securities, and no revenues from securities lending were added to the performance shown.
Fair value estimate: the Morningstar analyst's estimate of what a stock is worth.
Price/Fair Value: ratio of a stock's trading price to its fair value estimate.
The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM was created and is maintained by Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. does not sponsor, endorse, issue, sell, or promote the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF and bears no liability with respect to that ETF or any security. Morningstar® is a registered trademark of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM is a service mark of Morningstar, Inc.
The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM consists of U.S. companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages and whose stocks are attractively priced, according to Morningstar.
Effective June 20, 2016, Morningstar implemented several changes to the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index construction rules. Among other changes, the index increased its constituent count from 20 stocks to at least 40 stocks and modified its rebalance and reconstitution methodology. These changes may result in more diversified exposure, lower turnover and longer holding periods for index constituents than under the rules in effect prior to this date.
The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Van Eck Associates Corporation. Copyright ©2020 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. For more information on any of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC’s indices please visit www.spdji.com. S&P® is a registered trademark of S&P Global and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.
An investment in the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT®) may be subject to risks which include, among others, investing in equity securities, consumer discretionary, financials, health care, industrials and information technology sectors, medium-capitalization companies, market, operational, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount risk and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified, and concentration risks, which may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade. Medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks.
Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. An investor should consider a Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus for VanEck Funds and VanEck Vectors ETFs, which contain this and other information, call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus for VanEck Funds and VanEck Vectors ETFs carefully before investing.
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Important Disclosures
The information presented does not involve the rendering of personalized investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Certain statements contained herein may constitute projections, forecasts and other forward looking statements, which do not reflect actual results, are valid as of the date of this communication and subject to change without notice. Information provided by third party sources are believed to be reliable and have not been independently verified for accuracy or completeness and cannot be guaranteed. The information herein represents the opinion of the author(s), but not necessarily those of VanEck.
This commentary is not intended as a recommendation to buy or to sell any of the sectors or securities mentioned herein. Holdings will vary for the MOAT ETF and its corresponding Index. For a complete list of holdings in the ETF, please click here: https://www.vaneck.com/etf/equity/moat/holdings/.
An investor cannot invest directly in an index. Returns reflect past performance and do not guarantee future results. Results reflect the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains, if any. Certain indices may take into account withholding taxes. Index returns do not represent Fund returns. The Index does not charge management fees or brokerage expenses, nor does the Index lend securities, and no revenues from securities lending were added to the performance shown.
Fair value estimate: the Morningstar analyst's estimate of what a stock is worth.
Price/Fair Value: ratio of a stock's trading price to its fair value estimate.
The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM was created and is maintained by Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar, Inc. does not sponsor, endorse, issue, sell, or promote the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF and bears no liability with respect to that ETF or any security. Morningstar® is a registered trademark of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM is a service mark of Morningstar, Inc.
The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM consists of U.S. companies identified as having sustainable, competitive advantages and whose stocks are attractively priced, according to Morningstar.
Effective June 20, 2016, Morningstar implemented several changes to the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index construction rules. Among other changes, the index increased its constituent count from 20 stocks to at least 40 stocks and modified its rebalance and reconstitution methodology. These changes may result in more diversified exposure, lower turnover and longer holding periods for index constituents than under the rules in effect prior to this date.
The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by Van Eck Associates Corporation. Copyright ©2020 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. For more information on any of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC’s indices please visit www.spdji.com. S&P® is a registered trademark of S&P Global and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.
An investment in the VanEck Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT®) may be subject to risks which include, among others, investing in equity securities, consumer discretionary, financials, health care, industrials and information technology sectors, medium-capitalization companies, market, operational, index tracking, authorized participant concentration, no guarantee of active trading market, trading issues, passive management, fund shares trading, premium/discount risk and liquidity of fund shares, non-diversified, and concentration risks, which may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade. Medium-capitalization companies may be subject to elevated risks.
Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. An investor should consider a Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus for VanEck Funds and VanEck Vectors ETFs, which contain this and other information, call 800.826.2333 or visit vaneck.com. Please read the prospectus and summary prospectus for VanEck Funds and VanEck Vectors ETFs carefully before investing.